Victoria C. Garzione, Roger Alan Hood, Vincent E. Moore, Len Samowitz,
Steven A. Seelig, and Robert F. Storch

AFDICA's 2024 Life Long Career Achievement Awardees

 Association of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Alumni, Inc.
Life Long Achievement award

The By-Laws of the Association of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Alumni, Inc. (AFDICA) allow the recognition of life-long or career achievements of outstanding current or former FDIC employees and their commitment to service to their country. 

There are separate award categories for living and posthumous awardees.  

The criteria for the award should weigh heavily on the significance and long lasting impact of a nominee's accomplishments. Criteria may include, but may not be limited to achievements in the following areas: (1) fellowship, (2) education, (3) charity or (4) support of the mission of AFDICA or the FDIC.

On October 18, 2024, during AFDICA's  annual meeting, AFDICA President Gail Verley presented the Association's 2023 Life Long Achievement awards to six worthy recipients:  Victoria C. Garzione, Roger  Alan Hood, Vincent E. Moore, Len Samowitz, Steven A. Seelig, and Robert F. Storch.

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Attributes and Achievements of the Awardees: 

This year we have six worthy recipients (in alphabetical order):

   Victoria C. Garzione 

Victoria Garzione worked as a member of the Division of Administration’s Human Resource Team for her entire career.  She was with the FDIC for over 23 years. Vicky started as an Assistant and worked her way through the ranks eventually achieving the position of Supervisory Benefits Specialist. During her tenure at the FDIC Victoria gained the reputation of an "expert in her field.” She worked diligently to look after the best interests of all her clients.  If anyone had a benefits issue or concern, it was Vicky that they wanted to speak to.  Other Benefits Specialists and Supervisors came to Vicky for advice and her keen ability to solve problems.  

Often times, when employees are experiencing personal challenges with their health or finances, they need to speak with a Benefits Specialist for counsel and guidance.  Vicky became known as the go-to person for these issues.  Her tremendous compassion as well as her attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile, made all the difference in the lives of many.  Additionally, the Benefits Center was responsible for working closely with the families of deceased employees.  This was one of the most challenging circumstances for any Benefits Specialist to deal with. It took not only heart and strength, but also a detailed knowledge of federal benefits and a willingness to go beyond the basics and research and respond to whatever the family’s needs might be.  Victoria did this without hesitation.  Although it took an emotional toll, she left no stone unturned and treated every family as if they were her own.

Vicky was a true FDIC hero.  She could always be counted on to get the job done.  She took it as her own personal mission to make sure all student interns and junior staff understood the importance of investing in their 401Ks as soon as possible.  In fact, she would reach out to them and check up on them until she knew they were on the right track.  Vicky gave all her clients, regardless of grade or position, the personal touch when it came to customer service.  

In her personal life, Vicky continued to be of service.  When she lived in Maryland, she was a long-standing volunteer with her local firefighters and continued to do so when she moved to Ocean City cooking meals for the firefighters and working in support of all their fundraising events and activities until 2019 when she retired for health reasons.

Vicky was one of those people that made the FDIC seem more like a family than just a place to work.  You could count on her to get the job done because, not only was she a 'benefits genius,’ but also because she truly cared about the individuals that she worked with and for.

  Roger (Rod) Alan Hood

Roger A. Hood joined the FDIC in 1959 as an attorney in the litigation and liquidation section.

From 1969 to 1992, he was Assistant General Counsel and chief of the regulation and legislation section of the Legal Division. He then served as Deputy to Andrew C. Hove, Jr., beginning in June of 1992, first in Hove’s capacity as Vice Chairman and, since September of 1993, in Hove's role as Acting Chairman. In November of 1993, the FDIC Board of Directors appointed Hood to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer in addition to his duties as Deputy to Hove.  A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hood is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received both his A.B. and J.D. Degrees.

Rod was one of the premier bank regulatory attorneys in Washington.  His knowledge of banking law and regulation was encyclopedic.  Rod had an open door.  He was always available to discuss a legal or regulatory question, regardless of whether you were reporting to him. 

He was the heart and soul of the legal division because of his knowledge and his support of FDIC attorneys.  He was always supportive of the aspirations of FDIC employees, usually given with a dollop of points to think about.  Peter M. Kravitz indicated that he saw this first hand in 1985 when he applied for the first class of the FDIC’s Executive Development Program, a program designed to create a cadre of senior executives. He had a long talk with Rod about the program, and how it could affect him if I got into the program.  This was the norm for Rod - his fellow employees so their life and career flourished.

And finally, Rod was one of the nicest, friendliest people. And if you liked someone the way he was liked, it engendered quality work product, in part out of a desire to give back to Rod.

  Vincent E. Moore – Posthumorous Award

Vincent “Vince” Moore enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and was station Awarded at Camp Pendelton, California before beginning a tour of duty in Vietnam from August 1968 to January 1970. During his service, Vince earned a Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Rifle Marksman Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. He was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Lance Corporal, the highest rank achievable by a non-commissioned Marine. Upon discharge from the military, Vince enrolled in the Washington Technical Institute where he earned an associate’s degree in Audiovisual Technology in 1975. Vince spent his entire career of 51 years at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Arlington, VA before retiring in 2020 as an Audio/Visual Services Specialist in the Division of Administration.

Vince loved his job and co-workers.  He was known for his outgoing and cheerful personality often engaging with complete strangers who soon became friends.  He was one of the DOA's most effective and enthusiastic ambassadors who knew many FDIC employees by name. Vince was someone who used his knowledge, skills and calm demeanor to make things work. He was able to handle a business scenario in the most professional manner while still making people laugh and relax.  Vince supported every division/office within the FDIC as well as countless outside entities and presenters. AFDICA’s first annual meetings as well as countless conferences, briefings and presentations were significantly enhanced by his technical wizardry. Many of Vince's duties were accomplished with no notice and while those around him were exceedingly nervous due to the press of time.  Vince consistently understood the problem at hand, calmed the nervous official(s), and made whatever fix or adjustment was necessary to fit the circumstances.  His professionalism was outstanding, and he was able to help those that he supported with just the right input to make their presentations hit the mark.

Vince deserves recognition for his years of dedication, and his work ethic but also in many ways more importantly for the joy and sunshine he injected into the FDIC workplace.  His hand dancing would bring a smile to any face.

  Len Samowitz

Len Samowitz retired after 35 years with the FDIC. He started in the library as an assistant after serving in the library of the Environmental Protection Agency for two years previously.  He obtained a Masters in Library Science from the University of Maryland while working and rose through the ranks over the years to become the Chief of Research and Electronic Database Services.  His career spanned numerous Chairpersons for which he and his staff proved vital to the mission of the FDIC.  He has provided countless senior and junior FDIC and RTC staff with information critical to their jobs.  From research materials for testimony, policy development, testimony before Congress, speeches, legislative histories, background checks on individuals, and more.  Throughout it all, Len has been there and provided accurate information and support with quiet dedication.   In recognition of his value, he was the sole recipient of the first ever Chairman's award for his service to employees.   During his tenure the library greatly modernized in terms of electronic databases and research materials to include credit search ability, numerous legal and economic databases, and other specialized business resources.   Countless employees at all levels of the FDIC can credit their success to Len's diligent behind the scenes support. 

In his retirement he continued to serve, becoming a friend of the Montgomery County library and the librarian at his retirement community.   His cheery disposition and can-do attitude were apparent in all his dealings.  

  Steven A. Seelig 

Dr. Seelig’s career with the FDIC encompassed 1978 to 2000 where he served as Deputy Director, Division of Research and Statistics, Director, Division of Finance serving as Chief Financial Officer and Director, Division of Resolutions and Receiverships.

After leaving the FDIC, Dr. Seelig joined the IMF during the Asian Crisis.  He served in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department focusing on resolving financial crises.  In this capacity he worked in Indonesia, Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Latvia and Uruguay and was responsible for IMF’s financial sector providing technical assistance to Indonesia, Georgia, and Uruguay and led joint IMF/World Bank Financial Sector Assessments of Georgia and Estonia.

Since retiring from the IMF in 2010, Dr. Seelig has served, at the request of the Ministers of Finance, on the boards of NAMA (Ireland’s asset management agency) and Privatbank, the largest bank in Ukraine that was nationalized in the face of a massive insolvency.  He has also provided consulting services to numerous countries on every continent under the auspices of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank.  Much of the focus of his consulting has been on improving the operations of deposit insurers and assisting them in setting a target fund ratio.  He has also provided training on various topics to supervisors and central bank officials in Southeast Asia.

For nine years he has been doing charitable work with Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC where he screens research projects relating to cardiology in order to provide seed funding for the early-stage work with the goal of other funding sources (such as NIH) stepping in once the work shows promise.

  Robert F. Storch

Bob Storch spent his 43 year professional career at the FDIC from 1973 to 2020. During his career, Bob Storch served as the FDIC Chief Accountant for more than two decades, where he played key roles in the development of FDIC regulations and supervisory polices for regulations and oversight over the FDIC’s securities registration and related supervisory policies. Bob Storch served as Chair of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Task Force on Reports, which is responsible for updating the quarterly regulatory reporting forms for financial institutions. He also served as the FDIC representative on the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s (BCBS) Accounting Experts Group (AEG) since its inception in 1997. He met regularly with a variety of stakeholders to discuss matters of mutual interest. His service covers three financial crises, including the unparalleled number of bank failures during the late 1980’s. Losses to the FDIC Deposit Insurance Fund raised many accounting questions that he helped to resolve. He has overseen the development and implementation of many accounting standards over four decades. He always provided avenues for education and outreach to the agency staff and accounting profession. In 2020, Bob was recognized by the AICPA, as a winner of the AICPA Outstanding CPA in Government Award. According to the AICPA he is regarded by many as the “Dean of Government Accountants”.

Past Recipients:

The 2018 recipient was Dwight Hills Wilson II, Chief of the Transportation Unit in DOA at headquarters - posthumous award.

The 2019 recipient was Andrew C “Skip” Hove, Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the FDIC - posthumous award..

The 2020 recipients were Mitchell Glassman, Douglas H. Jones and Robert  W. Mooney - posthumous award for Mr. Mooney.

The 2021 recipient was Dr. Richard Brown, Chief Economist - posthumous award.

The 2022 recipients were Lesylee Hodge and Norman Neece

The 2023 recipients were John F. Bovenzi, Bill Dudley, Martha Duncan, Maggie Thompson, and William R. Watson

updated 10/19/2024